When it comes to makeup, it’s fair to say that mascara gives you the most bang for your buck. If you were to ask any girl what makeup item she can’t live without, we bet that she would say mascara because of the ability to make your eyes (and whole face) pop!
It’s often hard to find the mascara that’s right for you because we all have different needs when it comes to our eyelashes, our budgets and what look you want to achieve.
Types of eyelashes include:
- Straight: If your lashes naturally point downwards, you probably have straight eyelashes and it can be hard to find a mascara that will help hold a curl. If this sounds like you, make sure to first curl your lashes with an eyelash curler and use a mascara that specifies it’s ability to hold a lash curl.
- Short: Not everyone is born with super long lashes, but there are heaps of mascaras on the market that help to lengthen and make them look super long and luscious.
- Sparse: If you have a few gaps in your eyelashes, these can be filled with mascara! A curved brush will help to coat lashes from base to tip and fill in any spaces within your lashes to make them look fluttery and full.
- Curled: If you’re lucky enough to have naturally curled lashes, you probably don’t need a mascara that promises to hold a curl. Instead, opt for a mascara that promises definition or length to make your eyes pop!
- Long: There’s not much you need to do to your lashes in terms of volume or length, so use a mascara which has a delicate brush as this will create a defined look and really let your long lashes stand out.
#13 Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara
This offering from Covergirl was the brand’s first foray into a mascara that provides both volume and length thanks to its fibre-stretch formula and chunky plastic brush, which helps you highlight all your lashes – even the hard to reach ones in the corner of your eye. The formula, which is buildable, also helps to make your lashes look fuller, longer and more dramatic so it’s perfect for those with short or sparse lashes.
Real life review: “This is the best mascara I have ever used. It individually coats each lash instead of clumping the lashes together. Gives great length and a natural look,” – Michaela
Cost: $19.95 at Priceline
#12 Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara Dramatic Volume
This mascara was first launched in 1989 and it has been a cult fave for the last 29 years, especially with makeup artists. Its popularity is down to the fact that this baby gives you serious volume so it’s great for those with wispy lashes as it’ll give you mega dramatic-looking eyelashes. It’s also smudge-proof and buildable so you can swipe on a few layers for maximum impact.
Real life review: “Max Factor has always been at the top of the food chain. The 2000 Calorie mascara was a cult product for such a long time, and when you use it you understand why. I have the black brown in my kit, and I just have nothing to a fault it,” – Victoria
Cost: $20.95 at Priceline
#11 Revlon Volume + Length Magnified Mascara
This bristle brush mascara features a tiered design which is perfect for separating each lash so this would work best for those with long lashes as it gives you great definition and leaves you with bold lashes. It’s also great for those with sparse lashes as it has tiny fibres within the formula which coat your existing lashes to make them look even thicker.
Real life review: “Usually, I always wear 2 mascaras due to having short, sparse, fair lashes but not since I tried this mascara. I absolutely love what this mascara does for my barely there lashes. It definitely lengthens your lashes and gives volume,” – Amanda
Cost: $21.95 at Priceline
#10 M.A.C Bold & Bad Lash Mascara
While this mascara is a little pricey, this actually comes with TWO mascara wands. The large brush was designed to give your lashes some va-va voom while the tiny brush is for your bottom lashes. The beauty of this mascara duo is that it allows you to literally define every lash so you have ultimate control. M.A.C’s Bold & Bad mascara would be best for those with short lashes, as it helps to create fuller and longer looking eyelashes.
Real life review: “This doesn’t provide EXTREMELY big and bold lashes but long and dark natural look, curls my eyelash like a dream. Both brushes were great to use and don’t cause clumping. The one con about this product is it runs out fast (lasted maybe 3-ish months),” – Evisa
Cost: $42 at David Jones or Mecca
#9 Rimmel Scandaleyes XX-treme Mascara
This affordable mascara is great as it won’t break the bank but it also does what it says on the tin: it creates dramatic length, loads up your lashes for an “xx-treme” look and defines your lashes thanks to its slightly curved brush. When it comes to value for money, this is our pick!
Real life review: “I have pretty straight lashes which needs to be curled before applying a mascara. This is the perfect mascara that makes my lashes curl with 2coats & they look fuller & beautiful. Absolutely in love with it & would recommend to anyone!!” – Keerthi
Cost: $16.95 @ Priceline
#8 Benefit They’re Real! Mascara
This mascara is pretty much perfect for everyone. It lengthens, gives your lashes volume and gives your eyelashes a false lash look but they’re 100 per cent real. This Benefit baby also does a great job of curling your lashes from root to tip and it won’t smudge or dry out on you. Basically, it’s worth the price tag!
Real life review: “This is still my favourite mascara after all these years!! It makes my lashes look long and thick without looking too much like fake lashes and importantly, it is easy to remove without any tugging or harsh rubbing to my eyes,” – Tamara
Cost: $43 at Sephora
#7 Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara
Having your mascara turn crunchy on your lashes is the worst, so this Lancome mascara is enriched with emollient waxes which helps to boost your lash volume up to six times while keeping your them soft and supple. The formula is quite fluid but it does allow you to build coverage which is perfect for those with short or wispy-looking lashes. One downside of this mascara is the price tag – $55 for mascara is pretty steep but it is worth it!
Real life review: “This is the most expensive mascara in my makeup bag, but it is also a real favourite and well worth the investment. Lancome has a real winner with Hypnose – the formula goes on beautifully, separates my lashes with ease, provides great definition and length, and gives a finish that can range from modest to very dramatic, depending on how many coats you apply,” – Linda
Cost: $55 at Sephora
#6 L’Oréal Paris Lash Paradise Mascara
According to Beyonce’s makeup artist, Sir John, Queen Bey wore this very mascara to the 2018 Grammy Awards so it’s already a winner in our books. Sir John told Bustle that he used this mascara on Beyonce to “create a very feathery lash look.” This mascara is filled with castor oil, which is nourishing for your lashes and this type of mascara would be perfect for those looking for a fluttery, natural look.
Real life review: “I received this mascara as a gift and had little to no expectations. As soon as I used it, instantly my lashes were longer and more voluminous. When I run out of my first bottle I will be buying another one!” – Bella
Cost: $24.95 at Priceline
#5 Benefit BADgal BANG!
All of Benefit’s lash products are pretty baller but we particularly love this BAGgal BANG! mascara. It gives you super long lashes and amazing volume and it also holds a curl, so it’s perfect for pretty much anyone. If you have super straight lashes, curl your lashes first with an eyelash curler and then apply this mascara to hold the curl. If you have naturally curled eyelashes, then this will enhance it. And, if you have short lashes, BADgal BANG! will change that instantly!
Real life review: “Literally one of the mascaras I’ve found! I have short lashes and without curling this mascara adds so much volume and length. I love how dark the black is aswell and it’s long lasting. Definitely recommend!” – Mickayla
Cost: $43 At Sephora
#4 CliniqueFIT Workout 24-Hour Mascara
While this mascara was designed to wear at the gym, we think it’s perfect to wear all the time! This mascara is super long-lasting and won’t smudge or flake thanks to it’s sweat-resistant quality. It’s also a tubing (or tubular) mascara, which means that unlike a standard mascara which paints your lashes with coloured pigment, these ones use “a special formula that contains unique fibres or polymers that wrap around each eyelash,” says Sephora Australia’s National Artistry Lead, Alphie Sadsad.
This CliniqueFit tubular mascara gives you a defined and lengened look, so would be perfect for those with short lashes but it won’t give you a thickening effect – this gives you more of a natural makeup vibe. And the best part of this mascara is that it comes off cleanly with warm water and you won’t be left with panda eyes.
Real life review: “This one is my fave mascara. It doesn’t irritate my eyes like the other mascaras I’ve used before, plus it doesn’t smudge! I also love that it looks very natural on my eyelashes. Just the one I was looking for!” – Tash
Cost: $39 @ Sephora
#3 Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
This is the mascara that Meghan Markle counts as a favourite – so that makes it good right?! Maybelline’s Lash Sensational is smudge-proof but doesn’t take tons of scrubbing to remove at the end of the day and thanks to the curved brush, it’s perfect for those with straight lashes. In fact, there’s actually 10 layers of bristles to give your lashes a fan-like and defined look.
Real life review: “This is and will always be my holy grail mascara, I’m sooo glad I finally found it. I’m on my second bottle,” – Layla
Cost: $21.95 at Priceline
#2 NARS Climax Mascara
This little baby was only released last year but it quickly became a cult fave thanks to the fluffy brush and delicate formula. The thick brush is great for wispy lashes and because the formula isn’t super thick but it is buildable, it gives you a ‘your eyelashes but better’ look.
Real life review: “I love this mascara, really great if you don’t want super clumpy lashes, keeps the lashes individual but provides enough volume and length so your lashes still look full, long and amazing,” – Liza091
Cost: $37 at Mecca
#1 Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
This is probably the most hyped mascara in the history of mascaras and we have to say, she’s worth the hype! And the reason why Too Faced’s mascara has topped bestseller lists around the world is all down to the hourglass-shaped brush. This particular wand design and formula is perfect for straight eyelashes as it keeps your lashes curled after applying. The only downside with this product is that it can become dry and clumpy after a while.
Real life review: “Hands down my favourite mascara. Can apply lightly for an everyday look or build layers for a dramatic effect! The small travel size is great as it doesn’t dry out/go clumpy in the tube which can sometimes happen with the larger size. My absolute holy grail mascara!” – Kate4329
Cost: $35 at Mecca
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